Google’s Flutter platform does look very interesting. In many ways it is similar to React Native.
I would say though that Flutter is not battle-tested yet.
Similarities
- reactive-style programming patterns for views
- reactive-style “virtual DOM” for updating “real DOM” (note: in a native app there is not actually a browser DOM, but a tree of UI components; same concept though)
- backed by big companies (RN = Facebook, Flutter = Google)
- open source: RN = https://github.com/facebook/
react-native, Flutter = https://github.com/flutter/ flutter
Differences
- Language: RN = JavaScript, Flutter = Dart (AOT compiled, strongly typed) [comment: it’s a cool language, but who uses Dart outside of Google really?]
- UI Widgets: RN = native UI components, Flutter = provides its own customized components drawn on a native canvas (OpenGL or similar), which interestingly is like Adobe AIR or Unity
- Real World App Examples:
- RN = Facebook, Instagram, WIX, Facebook Ad Manager, Telsa, Walmart, Skype, Bloomberg, AirBnB, Gyroscope, Myntra, UberEats, Discovery VR, …
- Flutter = Hamilton, ?
- Time period since initial release: RN = Jan 2015 (initial release), Flutter = May 2017 (initial release), changed current status from “alpha” to “beta” in Feb 2018 (days ago)
Some Graphics
